


The Truth Comes Out at Night

by juem87



Series: Picking Up the Pieces [2]
Category: Twisted (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-22
Updated: 2013-08-22
Packaged: 2017-12-24 07:34:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/937219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juem87/pseuds/juem87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lacey meets Danny at the fort. A continuation of Alive Again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Truth Comes Out at Night

Danny already has a fire burning in the pit by the time Lacey reaches the fort. She's running late, it being more than a quarter past nine when she arrives. As mundane as it sounds, she couldn't decide on what to wear for their rendezvous. This night feels special, different from their other meetings, and she wanted to dress accordingly.

"You know the last time the three of us came here I called infinity on lighting the fire pit," she says in lieu of a standard greeting.

Danny smiles as he stands from the log he was sitting on. "I'll remember that for next time." He looks down then back up at her, vulnerability softening his eyes. "I thought you weren't going to show up."

"A promise is a promise," she says rocking on her heels a bit with her hands in her pockets. She smiles trying to keep the atmosphere light for as long as she can manage. Being in his presence has improved her mood and spirit, considerably and she wants to hold onto that while she can. There's already a cloud hanging in the horizon of her consciousness, a foreboding feeling that tells her the night may not end the way she hopes.

"Sit down," he gestures to a spot close to him and she heads in that direction, their bodies grazing one another when she passes. She controls her baser instincts, settleing onto the makeshift seat with grace when what she really wants to do is mold her body to his and take.

"So you wanted to talk," she says bouncing her leg. She feels packed with energy, her body buzzing in ways it hasn't since their break up. It's quite a change from the constant state of lethargy of the past few weeks. She's not a fidgety, twitchy person, but at this moment in his presence she becomes one.

"Relax," Danny says taking her hand in his, a grin on his face as he pulls it onto his lap. And just like that she does, the smile returning to her face, though she hadn't realized it left.

"I want us to be together, Lacey," he stares into her eyes intently, cutting right to the chase and willing her to agree with him. The grin is replaced with an earnest expression that speaks to the sincerity of his words.

"I do, too, Da-," she begins but just then every reason why they shouldn't be together comes crashing down on her, at once haltering her words. She couldn't recall them before, but now they're back with startling clarity. "Danny you've been lying to me since you came back to Green Grove!" She tries to detach her hand from his but he won't let go. "You killed your aunt, and you won't tell anyone, not even me, why! Everyone thinks you killed Regina... I know you didn't poison Cole," she states her voice and eyes beginning to soften at the devastated expression on his face. "I know you didn't do that, but what about the rest of it, Danny? You need to tell me everything for this to work."

"I know," he says looking away briefly to steel himself. "I realize that now. That's why I invited you here. I want to tell you everything... but you have to promise to hear me out first. Don't run away without hearing it all." He wants to say something playful to lighten the mood. Maybe mention her stellar track skills in regards to their relationship, but he doesn't. This is too serious a conversation for that.

Lacey nods her head almost wishing she hadn't agreed to this meeting when she feels his hand tighten around her own. Her stomach gives a painful twist and she has to force her legs still to stop from running. He hasn't told her anything yet and she already wants to flee.

Once Lacey agrees to his terms, Danny takes a deep breath turning away to look into the fire. "I don't think my dad is dead, Lace. I think he's alive and trying to frame me for Regina's murder."

"That's crazy, Danny. Of course your dad is dead. How could he have faked his own death? And even if he did why would he frame you for Regina's murder? That doesn't make sense." She tries to catch his eyes with her own, but he won't look at her.

"Just listen, Lacey. The morning after Regina's murder I found something in my locker... it was Regina's necklace. The same one my Aunt Tara wore when she was alive. I've had it this whole time," Danny bows his head waiting for the onslaught of her outrage. When nothing comes he turns to look at her. What he finds is worse than outrage.

Lacey is stunned into silence. There are tears in her eyes and it looks like she's stopped breathing. Her devastation is palpable in the air. After a moment, that feels like eternity, she lifts her eyes to look at him. That's when she redoubles her efforts to detach her hand from his. "Let go of me, Danny!"

"Lacey wait!" He tightens his grip, practically pulling her into his lap. "Stop pulling away from me! I didn't kill Regina! I didn't kill my Aunt Tara! I didn't kill anyone, Lacey!" His shouted confession stops her struggle.

"What?"

"I didn't kill my aunt. My father did. I saw the whole thing. That afternoon you and Jo were over and we were all playing outside. I went in to use the bathroom, and I walked in on them arguing. She was saying that she was going to tell everyone... tell everyone that he was sleeping with Tess behind my mother's back," he pauses at her widened eyes. "She also mentioned your dad Lace. He's an accountant right?" At her nod he continues, "She said something about him cooking the books... that your dad was helping him steal, that she would turn them both in and they would rot in jail. That's when he just snapped... he started hitting her and then he picked up Jo's jump rope and wrapped it around her neck..." He trails off unable to finish that sentence. They're both silent for a moment, reliving the trauma of that day.

Lacey breaks from her trance first; studying Danny's hunched over form. She's never seen him like this, this broken fragile boy needing to be hugged. Danny's always been put together, falling back on sarcasm or quick wit when he wasn't okay.

There are trails of tears on either side of his face that Lacey quickly goes to wipe away. She wraps her arms around him, trying at a full body hug despite their awkward position seated next to one another.

"I'm sorry, Danny." All those years they, she, thought he was a monster capable of killing his own family member. In reality he was a scared boy conned, by his own father, into taking the blame for a crime he didn't, couldn't, commit. "I'm so sorry, Danny. I wish there was some way I could make this all better for you."

He pulls back from their embrace to look her. "Just be here, Lace. Don't leave."

"I won't," she says ghosting her lips against his. She hugs him again because that seems to make him feel better. She doesn't know what to say to improve the situation, but this she can do. She can dry his tears and hug him close to her body, silently willing her love and positive thoughts in his direction.

They remain like this for a long while, eventually moving to a more comfortable position on a blanket Danny lays out on the ground. Entangle in the arms of the other, they eventually drift off to sleep, the rising sun, signifying the start of a new day, that only thing that disturbs them. 


End file.
